‘Risky moment’: Ukraine treads tightrope with Gulf arms deals

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that his country had “undoubtedly changed the geopolitical situation” in the Middle East with a series of decade-long defence agreements with Gulf states being hit with Iranian drones and missiles. Ukraine has developed a suit of tools to fend off nightly Russian drone attacks, chief among then cheap and highly effective drone-on-drone interceptors. Moscow's attack drones are based on the Iranian Shaheds now being fired by Tehran across the region. Zelensky has sought to craft an opportunity from the war, offering US allies in the region deals to get their hands on Ukrainian drone interceptors and has dispatched over 200 military experts. The agreements involve co-production of drones with factories both in Ukraine and in the Gulf. Zelensky also emphasized the need for long-term energy agreements to rebuild Ukraine's decimated energy network.